#Journey to the West: The Kingdom of Daughters

[the-monkey-ruler]

Daughter Kingdom (1927) 女儿国

Director: Li Pingqian / Qiu Qixiang Screenwriter: Qiu Qixiang Starring: Chen Yumei / Ni Hongyan Country/Region of Production: Mainland China Also known as: Journey to the West: The Kingdom of Daughters / 女兒國 / 西游记之女儿国 Type: Retelling

Summary:

Monk Tang, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Monk Sha traveled to the West to learn Buddhist scriptures and arrived at the land of women in the Western Liang Dynasty. The country was full of women, and the inheritance of the family line and the birth of children depended on the "Fetal Recruitment Spring". Drinking this spring water can lead to pregnancy, but they can only give birth to girls. After hearing that Tang Monk was passing by for Buddhist scriptures, the queen asked Tang Monk to be her husband. The matter was discovered by the Scorpion Spirit, and the two demons also wanted to marry Tang Seng, to find out the queen's intentions, and to rob Tang Seng...

Source: https://movie.douban.com/subject/26413257/

Link: N/A

[elizadraws]

Bulgarian Music in Studio Ghibli films

”Myth has it that Orpheus was born in what is now Bulgaria. It seemed to be fact, not myth, that his daughters are still singing there”

These words were written by the New York Times in the remote 1963 — the year in which the largest Bulgarian folk ensemble crossed the Iron Curtain to conquer an entire continent with its cosmic art.

The 1975 release of Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, a compilation album of modern arrangements of Bulgarian folk songs, further popularized Bulgarian music, and in 1977, a vinyl record featuring the folk song “Izlel ye Delyo Haydutin” (Eng: Come out rebel Delyo) began its journey aboard the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecrafts.

From this point on popularity from the West spread to the East, and Bulgarian folk music made it to the entertainment industry, including legendary Japanese anime films, like the cult cyberpunk “Ghost in the Shell” or the heartwarming Studio Ghibli features.

In this short article I write about two occasions of Bulgarian music playing in Studio Ghibli’s films.

The record that inspired the creation of “Only Yesterday”

“Only Yesterday” is a 1991 Japanese animated drama film written and directed by Isao Takahata, based on the 1982 manga of the same title by Hotaru Okamoto and Yuko Tone. Set in rural Japan, the film draws parallels with the peasant lifestyle present in Eastern Europe.

The original work is a compilation of short stories about 11-year-old Taeko’s daily life in 1966. Director Takahata had a hard time making it into a movie since the manga, told in the form of a memoir, has no plot to hold a feature. Together with producer Toshio Suzuki, they came up with the solution of bringing the narrator of the story, adult Taeko, into the movie. But there is a curious anecdote about how this idea came to mind.

Taeko picks safflower as the Bulgarian song “Malka moma dvori mete” plays in the background. © Studio Ghibli

In a 2021 interview with students from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, producer Suzuki recounts how a record of Bulgarian songs performed by the children choir “Bodra Smyana”, introduced to him by director Takahata, inspired the creation of the movie. Moved by the cosmic voices of the children, they decided to make “Only Yesterday” a musical. He also recalls what a tiring process it was to acquire the rights to the music, but if you’ve seen the movie, I am sure you will agree that it was worth it; the haunting, beautiful songs with the pastoral images of farmers picking flowers contribute to one of the greatest scenes created in cinema.

Producer Suzuki showing the record that inspired the creation of ”Only Yesterday”. Source: Studio Ghibli’s Twitter

In “Only Yesterday”, we can hear two songs from the album Bulgarian Polyphony I by Philip Koutev Ensemble. The upbeat “Dilmano Dilbero” [Eng. beautiful Dilmana] sets a happy mood as the protagonist gets changed and ready to go on the field. As the scene shifts and Taeko starts narrating a sad story about the girls in the past picking safflower with their bare hands, the song and mood shift as well.

While the first song has a fast rhythm, with lyrics about pepper planting that can also be interpreted figuratively, the second one, “Malka Moma Dvori Mete” [Eng., a little girl sweeps the yard], is a ballad about a young girl who is forced into marriage but has never known true love.

Both compositions sing about life-cycle events like marriage and the regular coming of the harvests, with lyrics perfectly fitting the setting and plot of the movie, which makes me wonder if the filmmakers chose them by chance or if they had someone translate the words.

Bulgarian Cosmic Voices Enchanting Howl

“Howl’s Moving Castle” is a 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, loosely based on the 1986 novel of the same name by British author Diana Wynne Jones. Set in a fictional kingdom the movie draws inspiration from various places in Europe. One of them being Bulgaria.

The story focuses on a young girl, named Sophie, magically transformed into an old woman, and a self-confident but emotionally unstable young wizard, Howl, living in a magical moving castle.

A sketch of a Star Child. Source: The Art of Howl’s Moving Castle

If you’ve seen the movie, you surely remember the scene when Madame Suliman ambushes Howl and tries to strip him of his magic powers. Star Children encircle him and his companions; their shadows grow big, dark and intimidating. They start dancing and chanting unintelligible magic words and are almost successful in their devilish act.

This scene, together with the music played in the background, have been a favourite of many fans of the film. Some even recount it giving them nightmares when they were children.

Star Children encircle Howl in an attempt to strip him of his magic powers. © Studio Ghibli

It turns out, however, that these aren’t any incantations, but the lyrics of a folk song. In Bulgarian. And a love song! Contrary to popular belief, the lyrics have nothing to do with magic and are actually about a boy taking his sweetheart, Dona, to the market to buy her new clothes. The excerpt used in the movie is very short and a bit altered from the original, but the words used go like this: Trendafilcheto, kalafercheto, Done mamino, translated as “the rose, the costmary, my darling Dona”.

I am planing a follow up article where I will post the translated lyrics together with a brief explanation on how they are related to the movies.

If you want to comment on or add something, I would love to hear!

Source

[book--brackets]

The BFG by Roald Dahl (1982)

Captured by a giant! The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It's lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater, the Bonecruncher, or any of the other giants-rather than the BFG-she would have soon become breakfast. 

When Sophie hears that they are flush-bunking off in England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!

Graceling Realm by Kristen Cashore (2008-2022)

Graceling tells the story of the vulnerable-yet-strong Katsa, who is smart and beautiful and lives in the Seven Kingdoms where selected people are born with a Grace, a special talent that can be anything at all. Katsa's Grace is killing. As the king's niece, she is forced to use her extreme skills as his brutal enforcer. Until the day she meets Prince Po, who is Graced with combat skills, and Katsa's life begins to change. She never expects to become Po's friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace--or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

Oz by L. Frank Baum (1900-1920)

Join Dorothy and her little dog Toto on the yellow brick road, as they set off to explore the magical Land of Oz. Can they find the Wizard, defeat the Wicked Witch of the West, and return to Kansas?

Stardust by Neil Gaiman (1997)

Catch a fallen star . . .

Tristran Thorn promised to bring back a fallen star. So he sets out on a journey to fulfill the request of his beloved, the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester--and stumbles into the enchanted realm that lies beyond the wall of his English country town. Rich with adventure and magic, Stardust is one of master storyteller Neil Gaiman's most beloved tales, and the inspiration for the hit movie.

Inkworld by Cornelia Funke (2003-2023)

One cruel night, Meggie's father reads aloud from a book called INKHEART-- and an evil ruler escapes the boundaries of fiction and lands in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is smack in the middle of the kind of adventure she has only read about in books. Meggie must learn to harness the magic that has conjured this nightmare. For only she can change the course of the story that has changed her life forever. 

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (1997)

At birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent young fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the "gift" of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella: "Instead of making me docile, Lucinda's curse made a rebel of me. Or perhaps I was that way naturally." When her beloved mother dies, leaving her in the care of a mostly absent and avaricious father, and later, a loathsome stepmother and two treacherous stepsisters, Ella's life and well-being seem to be in grave peril. But her intelligence and saucy nature keep her in good stead as she sets out on a quest for freedom and self-discovery as she tries to track down Lucinda to undo the curse, fending off ogres, befriending elves, and falling in love with a prince along the way. Yes, there is a pumpkin coach, a glass slipper, and a happily ever after, but this is the most remarkable, delightful, and profound version of Cinderella you'll ever read.

The Witches by Roald Dahl (1983)

This is not a fairy-tale. This is about real witches. Real witches don't ride around on broomsticks. They don't even wear black cloaks and hats. They are vile, cunning, detestable creatures who disguise themselves as nice, ordinary ladies. So how can you tell when you're face to face with one? Well, if you don't know yet you'd better find out quickly-because there's nothing a witch loathes quite as much as children and she'll wield all kinds of terrifying powers to get rid of them.

The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan (2010-2012)

Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.  One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.  Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them--Set?has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe -- a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

Discworld by Terry Pratchett (1983-2015)

In the beginning there was… a turtle.

 Somewhere on the frontier between thought and reality exists the Discworld, a parallel time and place which might sound and smell very much like our own, but which looks completely different.

 Particularly as it’s carried through space on the back of a giant turtle.

 It plays by different rules. But then, some things are the same everywhere. The Disc’s very existence is about to be threatened by a strange new blight: the world’s first tourist, upon whose survival rests the peace and prosperity of the land.

 Unfortunately, the person charged with maintaining that survival in the face of robbers, mercenaries and, well, Death, is a spectacularly inept wizard…

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor (2011-2014)

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

[nanshe-of-nina]

Women’s History Meme || Mistresses (4/10) ↬ Nest ferch Rhys (c. 1085 – c. 1136)

She was the daughter of one king and the lover of another; the matriarch of a powerful dynasty and the cause of conflict and war. While most of her countrywomen lived out their lives in quiet obscurity, Nest, Princess of Dyfed, became a legend. She lived through one of the most exciting and dynamic periods of Welsh and English history, and was herself an influence upon its events. Her life provides a rare opportunity to explore the role of women in early Wales and the impact upon it of the Norman invaders. She was born into an extraordinary time. Her father, Rhys ap Tewdwr, was king of Deheubarth, the kingdom which extended over south-west Wales, and enjoyed considerable influence throughout all Wales. Yet he had very nearly not become king at all, and throughout his reign he had the strange distinction of being the only king in Wales to hold his kingdom undisturbed by the new neighbours who were occupying England. He had become king in the early years of the Norman Conquest of England, and survived through diplomacy and the policy of William the Conqueror, but on the death of William in 1087, Norman policy changed. The new king of England, William Rufus, needed to secure the loyalty of his aristocracy with land grants and promises of booty. Casting aside the treaty forged by Rhys and his father, he allowed his barons to invade the whole of Wales. Nest, perhaps still a young child, lost her father in battle. Her brother, Gruffudd, fled into exile in Ireland, while Nest fell into the hands of the new lords of south Wales. Up to this point, she must have expected her life to follow the usual pattern for Welsh women of royal blood – marriage to an ally of her father, and a life travelling with her husband’s entourage and bearing his children. The fall of Rhys changed all of this. Her captors, the earl of Shrewsbury and his son, Arnulf, the new earl of Pembroke, probably sent her into their English lands to be raised under their power. It was a journey that would determine the rest of her life. — Princess Nest of Wales: Seductress of the English by Kari Maund

[icekingofhope]

WARNING THIS HAS SPOILERS FOR MONKIE KID SEASON 5

So since we have the new villain who is definitely Impiled to have a lot of importance to the story which is the nine headed beast

I decided to check abit about him to see if there is any info of him and in fact there is he was a villain of journey to the west and here is what we have

this is copy and pasted from the jttw wiki it says and I qoute

“ The Nine-Headed Beast also known as the Nine-Headed Prince Consort is married to Wansheng Dragon King's daughter. He is armed with a Crescent Moon Spade He collaborates with his father-in-law to steal the Śarīra from Golden Ray Monastery. Sun Wukong enlists the help of celestial forces to deal with the demons. The Nine-Headed Beast has one of his heads bitten off by Erlang Shen's celestial hound but manages to escape”

and for more info on the wansheng dragon king and the nine headed beasts wife is this

“The Wansheng Dragon King is based in Emerald Waves Lake Rocky Mountain Kingdom of Jisai He marries his daughter, Wansheng Princess, to the Nine-Headed Beast. He plots with his son-in-law to steal a Śarīra from the pagoda in Golden Ray Monastery in Jisai and release a rain of blood in the kingdom. Without the Śarīra, the pagoda loses its magical shine, and the king perceives the blood rain as an ill omen. He believes that the monks in the monastery are responsible for stealing the Śarīra and starts persecuting them. Sun Wukong uncovers the truth when he and his companions arrive in Jisai. The dragon king and his family are eventually killed by Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie. The Śarīra is returned to the pagoda”

“The Wansheng Princess is Wansheng Dragon King's daughter and the Nine-Headed Beast's wife. She stole the Nine Leaves Lingzhi Herb from the Queen Mother of the West. She is slain by Zhu Bajie”

he also seems to have two servants

“Benbo'erba and Babo'erben are two minions of the Nine-Headed Beast. Their respective forms are a sheatfish and a blackfish respectively. They stay at the top of the pagoda in Golden Ray Monastery after the Śarīra is stolen. Sun Wukong discovers them while cleaning the pagoda and captures them. He learns about the theft of the Śarīra from them”

so that’s what is seen so far he is practically a prince as he had married to royalty and his wife is practically dead- along with his father in law and such him being a prince does fit though due to his appearance and what his body language indicates

I hope in the English dub or sub we get info of him and we seen him more he is a really interesting character

(also side note is it just me or why would it feel like the character double trouble from she ra would fit for a English Va )

[fluffypotatey]

"I am the 10th King, Prince Consort of Jisai, the Nine-Headed Demon, Xiangliu, The Emissary- Eh, the list goes on. The name's not really important." His design is also inspired by Jiu Feng, so classic lore mixing in LMK. Anyways, it's that Prince Consort- part, as the Nine-Headed Beast is the ONLY part of JTTW to tie him to Wukong lol. Here's that segment from the Wiki.

"The Wansheng Dragon King (萬聖龍王) is based in Emerald Waves Lake (碧波潭), Rocky Mountain (亂石山), Kingdom of Jisai (祭賽國). He marries his daughter, Wansheng Princess, to the Nine-Headed Beast. He plots with his son-in-law to steal a Śarīra from the pagoda in Golden Ray Monastery (金光寺) in Jisai and release a rain of blood in the kingdom. Without the Śarīra, the pagoda loses its magical shine, and the king perceives the blood rain as an ill omen. He believes that the monks in the monastery are responsible for stealing the Śarīra and starts persecuting them. Sun Wukong uncovers the truth when he and his companions arrive in Jisai. The dragon king and his family are eventually killed by Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie. The Śarīra is returned to the pagoda.

The Wansheng Princess (萬聖公主) is Wansheng Dragon King's daughter and the Nine-Headed Beast's wife. She stole the Nine Leaves Lingzhi Herb (九葉靈芝草) from the Queen Mother of the West. She is slain by Zhu Bajie.

The Nine-Headed Beast (九頭蟲), also known as the Nine-Headed Prince Consort (九頭駙馬), is married to Wansheng Dragon King's daughter. He is armed with a Crescent Moon Spade. (月牙鏟). He collaborates with his father-in-law to steal the Śarīra from Golden Ray Monastery. Sun Wukong enlists the help of celestial forces to deal with the demons. The Nine-Headed Beast has one of his heads bitten off by Erlang Shen's celestial hound but manages to escape."

oh my god i missed the Prince Consort part 🙈 that’s embarrassing

but that does make me wonder…..since he is included in jttw and Wukong did meet him during the journey….did Wukong, like, run into so many enemies that he basically cannot remember them all?????

imagine, you have a chapter for yourself in the legendary Journey to the West, and Wukong fucking forgot who you are 🤭

embARRASSING

[emmaofnormandy]

The Dragon and the Rose.

• In this universe, Lady Kathryn Howard crosses path with King Aegon II. The result of it may be more surprising than what onlookers have judged at first…

Long post; fluffy.

"You need a wife", the Dowager Queen of Westeros tells his son. "As a king, specially given the current circumnstances, you need to produce an heir. Such a deed cannot be done by yourself, as you must know.”

Aegon rolls his eyes at his mother’s words. Despite his reluctance to get himself crowned as the overlord of the seven kingdoms, here he is now, urged to get married. And he cannot take his sister as his wife as former Targaryens did because she simply eloped with Aemond.

Not that I needed her anyway.

Besides, Aegon believes he can have any woman he desires. Why marrying one alone? When he makes this point to his mother, Queen Alicent takes a very deep breath as if she is beseeching her patience in Heaven before saying:

“We need allies, you fool. And a legitimate heir.” She says between gritted teeth. “If you are not looking for one, I will. Should I explain the basics to you? If you don’t have legitimate heirs, Rhaenyra’s sons will rule after you. Is that what you want?”

That has her son’s attention. Good. Alicent softens and smiles.

“You can choose any noblewoman you like as long as it’s a highborn damsel appropriate for the rule of a consort.”

“Very well”, Aegon sighs. “I will do my best, my lady mother.”

Yet, where should he begin? Perhaps Aegon should ask the aid of his siblings for that task. As he summons Aemond back to court, Aegon does not need a very long time to tell the reason why he needs his younger brother’s help.

“Ah right. A wife, a queen. I’ll pity the woman who might get all the praises but your attention when she sits in the place once occupied by our mother.”

“If I needed your disdain, Aemond, believe me… I would rather you to stay with Helaena wherever the fuck you have been.”

“Watch your tongue, Your Grace”, Aemond smirks. “Very well. I’ve been traveling for a while and if no Westerosi ladies get your attention, I can give you other suggestions.”

Aegon’s eyebrows are epically raised.

“Oh?”

And so he is told of England and its own noble houses, one of which has been friendly towards Aemond and Helaena in their journey to the west: the Howards.

***

Katherine never before felt so uncomfortable as when she was at the court of King Henry. Specially when she’s getting his unwelcome flatteries.

King he is, but he could be my father. Worse, he is not handsome at all. Why cannot he be content with his wife? Poor lady Anne does not deserve this treatment.

However, her uncle seems pleased with the idea of rising high in the court sphere once again. Whilst Thomas Howard contemplates a form to separate the king from his wife by joining him to his niece, his brother, Edmund Howard, is not sharing his enthusiasm.

In fact, without Katherine’s knowledge, her father has been entertaining other ideas. Having received Lord Aemond and his wife, lady Helaena, there had been conversations concerning a possible betrothal to Aegon Targaryen and his daughter. Eventually, though, Edmund becomes anxious to remove Katherine out of court.

“What?”, Katherine is talking with her first cousin, the countess of Richmond. “What are you talking about? Why would my father ask me to leave? You are lying.”

Lady Mary Howard sighs.

“Just read this envelope here. I’m sure you can read, can you not, cousin?”

Katherine blushes at the sharp tongue of the other woman, but takes the letter and opens it without giving an answer. As she reads the content, she is partly relieved for leaving—she’d been feeling like a fox about to become the prey of a dangerous predator with no chance to escape. On the other hand, she is somewhat preoccupied about how this will be handled.

“How familiar are you with this plan, cousin?”, inquires Katheryn, suspicious about the veracity of it.

Lady Mary shrugs her shoulders in a nonchalant posture, although her eyes give an otherwise meaning.

“Familiar enough to help you escape the hands of the tyrant. I am helping you because I’ve been there too, although he ensured to deprive me of the presence of my beloved”, she explains in between gritted teeth.

Lady Mary was referring to the days she’d been married to Henry FitzRoy, King Henry’s favoured son, albeit illegitimate. But due to the monarch’s paranoia, they never made to consummate their love for each other and what happened next was her widowhood.

Katheryn understands well her sentiments and appreciates that amongst her family members there was at least one relative she could trust. The relief is evident in her features which softens her cousin’s pride mask.

“You deserve better, cousin.”

And so the new journey to Katheryn Howard’s life begins.

***

As the feast begins, Aegon is nowhere to be found, much to his mother’s dismay. The unpleasant task to find him falls upon Ser Criston Cole’s dutifulness since Aemond has been too busy with his wife to remind Aegon of his regal duties.

“Bring him to us as soon as possible. We have been told the lady is arriving anytime now. Aegon must be here to receive her”, so the dowager queen points out as-a-matter-of-fact.

It takes little time for Ser Criston to find the king. He is in his bed, taking his time to let the hangover state out of himself.

“Your Grace”, says the knight. “Do you intend to spend the rest of the day in your bed whilst the Seven Kingdoms await your good will in ensuring its rule goes as expected?”

Aegon sighs heavily. His hair is a mess, his eyes are only half open, in a state that only irritates the knight. But before the king is lectured about his misconduct, Aegon decides to take leave of his bed.

“You may spare your breath”, says the silver haired prince. “I am doing what is expected of me today.”

Ser Criston raises an eyebrow all the whilst folding his arms, in a posture that clearly disbelieves the other’s words.

“I mean it. I am perfectly aware that very few have some faith in me”, he says grudgingly.

As if to prove him right of surprising everyone, Aegon cleans himself and dresses in his mother’s colors. Although unwillingly, he knows there is a role to play. And this is the day he ought to do things in a different way.

The moment he arrives to the grand hall is the same moment where his soon to be wife arrives too. His mother, Dowager Queen Alicent, is relieved and ensuring nothing goes wrong.

But when the doors open, destiny plays the card that will change everything.

***

It is a beautiful court, so Katheryn judges as her eyes capture the shades of dark green that somehow mixes with red and black, although it could be more colorful.

She is very impressed, though. The Red Keep is all about grandiosity, reinforced by the regality in the decoration, joined by the beautiful landscape that has been running through her eyes during her journey from London.

But nothing impacted her more than seeing the shadow of grand beasts, flying across the skies and howling through the air. Katheryn once read about them… Dragons, that’s what they were named. They were the symbol of the Tudor dynasty, the same one her beloved uncle sought to marry her into.

The prestige is not worth it, I know it in me.

Nevertheless, she wanted a good marriage for herself, being the noble lady she is. So her father sent her to be the wife of another king, whom he assured to be more gentle and closer to her in age than Henry Tudor.

Now that she is walking into the Red Keep surrounded by her retinue and her eyes are glued upon the regal figure that stands tall, Katheryn finds herself amazed.

As Aegon slowly comes to greet her, both seem to be oblivious to the anxious parts that seem to be eager to join them in sacred ceremony. They too ignore the pair of eyes that follow them curiously.

They only seem to notice each other. Whilst Katheryn is, admittedly, baffled by his Valyrian features, so is Aegon by her English inheritance. Never before had he met dark, astonishing and deep eyes staring so intently into his lilac ones.

“My lady Howard”, Aegon is the one who breaks the ice by greeting her with a proper bow. “Welcome to King’s Landing. I pray your journey has not been uncomfortable for your ladyship.”

A weak blush paints her pale cheeks as she curtseys in return.

“Your Majesty, I appreciate the kindness you display towards me. Indeed the journey has been good, thank you.”

“That is fantastic to hear”, says Aegon, unable to refrain his growing smile. Then gallantly he extends his hand to her and Katheryn promptly takes it.

It is as if the world breathes in relief when the Westerosi king is delighted at his foreigner queen-to-be. To some as the former queen of the realm, though, there is still much to wait for the unpredictable Aegon.

But even the lady Alicent is forced to admit that prospectives are positive so far.

“What are your impressions of this land you’ve set foot? In all honesty, I’ve never encountered a foreigner lady like yourself before”, says the charmed king.

Kathryn smiles, pleasantly blushed to get his attention. Indeed, Aegon’s handsomeness, gallantries and youth count positive for this alliance favoured by her father against her uncle’s ambitions in rising another of his family to occupy King Henry’s vacant side.

Even before these impressions, Kathryn is no fool. She spent enough time at the court of the old king to know that appearances can be misleading—and deadly.

This conversation is the start of something new for both parts involved… and more so when considering a new world beyond the seven kingdoms of Westeros.

For King Aegon, however, this marriage is politically fruitful: not sooner and his reign will be acknowledged before his fellow kings out of Westeros.

Yet… when looking at Lady Katherine, these dark eyes and darker hair make him forget of the true purpose of this union. Each time she smiles, Aegon realizes that maybe now… he wants more than casual flings.

***

As controversial as the wheel of fortune might be, Lady Katherine occupies the higher ground without fearing for her life. Henry Tudor is no more the reasons of her concern nor disgusts, the mere thought of him is now turned to dust.

She is queen herself… of a distant realm, where she has a husband to please and duties to attend without the fear of reprehension of her uncle Thomas Howard, even though Aegon’s grandsire, Otto Hightower, has the same likes—somewhat irksome to her.

What does it matter? I am the queen now.

In these festivities, Kathryn enjoys the attentions of her handsome husband, with whom she comes to discover there is so much they share in common.

“As soon as we can, I’ll take you to a ride. Have you ever been to a dragon’s back before?”

“I do not think husband”, she says, savouring the taste this new word brings, with a gentle smirk, “that I have ever even seen one.”

It is inconceivable to Aegon that there is a world out there where dragons are not part of it. Thus as his wife tells him about her origins, all she’d known about these flying creatures are stories, legends, myths, his bafflement only increases.

“I shall bring you to Sunfyre by tomorrow dawn”, he vows to her, very serious in keeping his promise when locking their hands tied.

In this crowded room, every sound dies before this new level of intimacy just recently disclosed. When Aegon looks at Kathryn, she knows he sees her for who she is.

Not just her beauty. But who she really is underneath all of this pomp she likes to exhibit in a form to conceal her sensibility and all of her dreams that her family despised and she had no other choice but to hide.

One gaze is enough. No more words are enough. Silence already speaks for itself.

*

“You fancy her”, observes Lord Aemond when he occupies the vacant place left by Lady Kathryn. By his brother’s side, their eyes follow the brunette’s moves, captured by the vivacity in her gracious steps as she dances.

“Could it be otherwise?”

“When mother at first suggested you to wed Helaena, you despised her.”

“Suggested?”, Aegon snorts at his younger brother. “That is kind of you. Well, Laena and I never saw eye to eye, which worked out for you just fine if I recall well.”

Aemond gives the eldest of the two a smirk.

“Indeed, though what I wanted to say is that you can be…”

“Imprudent?”

“I’d prefer to say careless”, says he. “Whereas the lady Kathryn is a blossom rose.”

Aegon’s eyes go to the woman the High Sparrow crowned, the brunette of a foreigner land he espoused. So much joy in her figure, the gentleness evident in her countenance, reinforcing a beauty that brings her the attention.

“I am not a man who shares”, says the king, subtly, giving more in these words than his pride would bend to admit.

Aemond takes the glass to his lips, pleased for the result of his match.

“I know how well you like to keep your prizes to yourself.”

And nothing further has been discussed about it.

***

“Lady, today you will experiment few out of our family has ever had”, so boasts Aegon, proudly. He likes the eyes of his wife on him, carrying a new genuine admiration he’s never found on the eyes of another.

“And what is that, husband?”, she asks, excited and intrigued.

They are out of the Red Keep this day. Though it’s not cloudy, it’s a little windy, but perfect condition to fly. Kathryn is frightened, though she struggles to conceal it, before the sight of large beasts that howl through the air and are not mythological.

“I appreciate your efforts in playing the brave, my dear”, Aegon smiles at her, bringing her closer to him. “But no need to fear. Come, let us make these new memories together.”

Kathryn is thus taken to Sunfyre, whose large yellow wings and its golden eyes impact the new queen. She blinks a few times, frozen before this encounter, but does not shy away of it.

As Sunfyre bows to her, she smiles gracefully, taking the hand Aegon extends her. The next thing she knows is adventurously wordless.

“I’ve never taken anyone to fly so high”, he whispers in her ear, pleased to see her blushing as his arms snake around her waist. “Do you want to command Sunfyre? Go on. I know you can do it.”

Kathryn gazes at her husband with a mix of surprise and atonement. Never before she was consulted in anything of the kind; her views and tastes were often disregarded as a matter of little importance.

Underneath titles two lost souls are found in a surprising alliance that is turning positively healing for both parts.

The moment she smiles, Aegon knows there is chance for redemption…. And he’s prompted to take it.

***

• Epilogue.

According to the unofficial and unnamed chronicler of Aegon’s court, the king and the queen had a very successful marriage. This gleeful union, which seems to have cast a shadow over the king’s questionable past by designing a better future, has resulted in the following children:

1. Jaehaerys, Prince of Dragonstone.

2. Elysbeth, Princess of Dragonstone, who married her oldest brother, following the Targaryen tradition.

3. Eddmund, named after the queen’s father, chose to become a Maester.

4. Alysanne, Princess of Dorne.

5. A stillborn child.

6. Daeron, who took the oath of becoming part of the King’s Guard.

7. Aemon, his twin brother, who, in due time, moved to Dragonstone and there resided with Lady Rhaella Targaryen, a cousin.

8. Laena Targaryen, who became Lady of High Garden.

It’s said that the Queen suffered with poor health after giving birth to Lady Laena. However, she managed to have a long and happy life by Aegon’s side. So then peace reigned…

[englishotomegames]

Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess (リトルプリンセス マール王国の人形姫2, Little Princess: Puppet Princess of Marl Kingdom 2)

Release dates Japanese (PS1): November 25th, 1999 English (Nintendo Switch, PS5, Steam): August 29th, 2023

"Music meets adventure in Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess! This charming sequel to Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure features the young 'Tomboy Princess' Kururu, who follows in the footsteps of her mother Cornet and sets out on her own journey to find her prince.

As the daughter of the Marl Kingdom's ruler, Kururu dreams of finding her own knight in shining armor like her mother before her. Now twelve years old, she decides to embark on her own journey to find her true love. But Kururu will soon find that the path to happily ever after is not as enchanting as the stories make it seem, and is teeming with dangerous beasts, dark plots, and other unseen obstacles. Can she find the strength of heart to see her journey to its end and learn what true love really means? Complete with more songs, a new turn-based battle system, and a story both new yet familiar, Rhapsody II is ready to make its magical debut in the West and make your heart sing!"

This is the sequel to Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure, a romantic comedy musical JRPG, released in English for the first time.

You can get the Steam version here, the PS5 version here, or the Nintendo Switch version here! The console releases contain both Rhapsody II and Rhapsody III, under the name "Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles".

[pompomqt]

Journey to the West Chapter 31

Man Pigsy just makes a habit of instigating stuff doesn't he? At least this time he's using that ability for good.

Anyways in this chapter of Journey to the West with @journeythroughjourneytothewest we get to see Sun Wukong back in action, and he's got a bone to pick. So let's get into it shall we?

So Pigsy gets dragged back to Monkey, who demands to know why he was insulting him earlier. Pigsy tries to deny it of course, but Monkey reminds him that he has super hearing. When Monkey threatens to beat him however, Pigsy finally confesses but asks to be spared for Tripitaka's sake. Which- was a bad move considering he and Monkey still aren't on speaking terms. When that doesn't work, he instead brings up Guanyin- which does actually work.

Monkey decides to get to the point and asks Pigsy what Tripitaka has gotten himself into this time. Pigsy once again tries to deny any trouble and insist that Tripitaka really just missed him- but caves when Monkey threatens to beat him again. So Pigsy gives Monkey a rundown on all the events that happened since Monkey left them. Afterwards Monkey asks why they didn't use his name to protect Tripitaka like he told them to. At this Pigsy gets an idea to push Monkey into action. He says that they did use Sun Wukong's name, but that the demon just scoffed and said that if this so called 'Sun Wukong' show's up, he'll skin him alive and boil him!

Monkey is never one to let people doubting his badassery slide so he is all geared up now to fight this Yellow Robe Demon. Oh and rescue Tripitaka while he's at it to he guesses. His little monkey's aren't so happy to see him go however, and ask him to stay with them instead. Wukong however tells them that Tripitaka just granted him a little vacation to see them all, but he has to go back now and finish his mission. Once that's done though, he'll come back home to them.

With that Pigsy and Monkey take their leave. On the way however Monkey takes a quick dip in the ocean to clean himself up a bit before he see's Tripitaka again. My guess is he wants to make a good impression so that he really will be invited back into the pilgrimage. Anyways after Monkey has his bath the two continue on their way to the demon's lair.

For the first order of business, Monkey kidnaps the two demon's kids, which of course causes all the minion demon's to report the kidnapping to the princess. So the princess runs out to stop Monkey from dashing her kids on the rocks below, demanding to know what he thinks she's doing. She warns him that her husband is rather frightening. Monkey introduces himself and offers a trade- he'll give the boys back in exchange for Sandy.

So the princess goes inside to untie Sandy, which she wanted to do anyways and was just trying to think of an excuse. She tells him that his older brother Sun Wukong is here for him, which absolutely delights Sandy. So the three disciples have a touching reunion and Wukong starts up phase two of his plan. So Sun Wukong immediately rescinds on his deal with the princess by telling Sandy and Pigsy to take the two boys to the kingdom and drop them at the palace. And when anybody asks who kids those were, tell them that they are the Yellow Robe Demon's kids, that way they can lure the Demon back here to fight Wukong instead of fighting in the kingdom and causing a bunch of collateral damage. Pigsy isn't to hype about this plan, since the demon will most likely come after Pigsy and Sandy for killing the boys while Monkey get's off scott free, but Monkey tells them not to worry about that and just lure the demon here.

So Sandy and Pigsy take off with the hostages in tow while Monkey has a little chat with the princess, who super isn't happy with him for refusing to hold up his end of the deal. Monkey however just calls her an filial daughter for being kidnapped by a demon and makes her cry. Yeesh. After that though he assures her that he will take care of her demon husband so she can return to her parents and ushers her off somewhere so he can disguise himself as her and take her place.

So while Wukong is busy cosplaying as the princess Sandy and Pigsy meanwhile have arrived at the kingdom and have killed the two boys by hurling them out of the sky and yelling that they are the Yellow Demon's children just as Monkey instructed. The Demon meanwhile is way to hungover to want to deal with this right now, and decides to head home to see if those really were his kids or if Pigsy is just trying to trick him or something.

The Palace meanwhile has been clued in on the fact that this guy is indeed a demon, due to all those serving girls that he didn't get around to killing and eating earlier who escaped and told them all about it. They can't really do anything about it however, so instead the king just has more guards assigned to Tiger Tripitaka because I guess knowing that other guy is a demon doesn't mean Tripitaka is in the clear yet.

Meanwhile the demon arrives back at his cave and theater kid Sun Wukong starts putting on the show of a lifetime and starts up the waterworks, crying for his poor kidnapped children. When the demon asks his 'wife' why she's crying, Wukong tearfully explains how Pigsy came by freed Sandy and kidnapped her children, and now she doesn't even know if they are still alive. The Demon of course angrily exclaims that his son's have been killed and he vows vengeance- after he takes care of his poor distraught wife of course.

Luckily the Demon has just the thing to fix his wife's heartache, he takes out his treasure, an internal elixir, and explains that all she needs to do is rub it on the spot that hurts and the pain will go away. He warns her however not to fillip her thumb onto the treasure for if she does it will reveal her true form. So Monkey of course proceeds to rub the treasure on a random spot before filliping his thumb and then swallowing the thing whole.

When the demon tries to punch him in retribution, Sun Wukong blocks the blow and reverts to his true from. The Demon of course has no idea who he is, so Sun Wukong explains that he is the eldest disciple of the Tang Monk. The Demon however doesn't believe him because when he caught Tripitaka earlier, he only had the two disciples, if he really is a disciple then why wasn't he with them earlier? So Sun Wukong explains that his habit of slaying monsters offended the monk, so he was dismissed. When the Demon asks why he's here if he was banished by his master, Wukong says 'Once a teacher always a father' and 'between father and son, there's no overnight enmity' so of course he came to save Tripitaka when he needed help.

All that aside however, Sun Wukong has a bone to pick with him, how dare he abuse him behind his back? The Demon of course has no idea what he's talking about, and points out that Pigsy is a lying liar who lies. However it's to late for that anyways, since Sun Wukong has already made the decision to kick his ass. The Demon however isn't to worried, after all he has an army. Sun Wukong also isn't worried because he's never been one to be intimidated by the other side having superior numbers.

And so the fight begins with the Demon rousing his army, only for Sun Wukong to respond by changing into his three headed war form and absolutely demolishing the army, until only the big boss demon is left. So the two of them fight for a while before Sun Wukong uses a bit of trickery in order to whack the demon on the head. However the second he does, the demon vanishes. So Monkey scans all for directions, only to not see him anywhere, so he concludes that the demon must be a heavenly spirit. So Wukong immediately breaks into heaven in order to take a role call and see who's been missing.

Turns out that the Wood Wolf Star, has been missing for thirteen days in heaven, which translates to thirteen earth years. So the Jade Emperor has the Wolf Star's colleagues call him back to heaven. When he arrives he is greeted by Wukong who would very much like to hit him, but is being stopped by the Wolf Star's friends. However while he's not in danger from the Great Sage for the moment, he still has to face the Jade Emperor for what he's done.

So the Wolf Star explains his story, that the princess he kidnapped is also a heavenly spirit, a jade girl in charge of incense. The two wanted to elope, but such a thing couldn't happen in heaven. So the girl went down first, and then he followed afterwards and took over a mountain and kidnapped her so they could be married. And wow, that is one strange relationship... but whatever works for them I guess? I still think there had to be a better way to handle all that but oh well. And the Jade Emperor agrees with me because he has the Wolf Star demoted to be an assistant for Laozi, with the chance to be restored to his rank if he did a good job, and punished further if he didn't.

Monkey is satisfied with this outcome and takes his leave with a single bow, which most gods find rude, but for the Jade Emperor, any day where Sun Wukong leaves heaven in peace, is a good day. So Monkey returns to the Princess and gives her a rundown of the situation, just as Pigsy and Sandy also show up ready to help Monkey fend off the demon army. Monkey informs them that, that's taken care of, so the three of them then proceed to fast travel with the princess all the way to the kingdom. Pity they can't ever do that with Tripitaka.

So they perform a trade with the king, they give him back the princess and explain the story to him, and he brings out Tripitaka who is still trapped in the illusion of a tiger. Monkey of course takes this opportunity to mock Tripitaka for his fearsome appearance when he is such a good monk, and asks why Pigsy doesn't save him since he's the favorite disciple and all. Eventually though he get's around to freeing Tripitaka by asking for some water to spit on him in order to break the spell.

Surprisingly Tripitaka is actually thrilled to see Wukong again, even more so when Sandy explains the whole situation to him. So Wukong is welcomed back into the group with open arms and the pilgrimage is united once again and ready to continue on their journey to the west.

Current Sun Wukong Stats: Names/Titles: Monkey, The Stone Monkey, The Handsome Monkey King, Sun Wukong (Monkey awakened to the void), Bimawen (Banhorseplague), The Great Sage Equal To Heaven and Pilgrim Sun. Immortality: 5 + 94,000 years. Weapon: The Compliant Golden Hooped Rod Abilities: 72 Transformations, Cloud-Somersault, Ability to transform his individual hairs, super strength, Ability to Summon Wind, Water restriction charm, and the ability to change into a huge war form, ability to duplicate his staff, ability to immobilize others, the ability to put others to sleep, and the Fiery eyes and Diamond Pupils, intimidating horses, churning large bodies of water, sleeplessness, seizing the wind, enhanced smell, discerning good and evil within a thousand miles, Spirit Summoning, lock picking, object transformation and distance reduction. Demon Kill Count: 5+ Unknown Number of Minions Human Kill Count: 1006 God's Defeated: 20 + Unknown number Defeats: 3 Crime List: Robbery, Murder, Mass Murder, Arson, Theft, Coercion, Threatening a Government Official, Resisting Arrest, Assault, Forgery, Employee Theft, False Imprisonment, Impersonating a Government Official, Treason, attempted murder, failure to control or report a dangerous fire, desecrating a corpse, breaking and entering, trespassing, violating Tree Law and looting corpses. Cry Count: 4 + 1 fake cry Mountains Trapped Under: 1

Current Tang Sanzang stats: Names/Titles: River Float, Xuanzang, Tang Sanzang, Tripitaka Abilities: Curing Blindness, making branches point a certain direction (allegedly), reciting sutras, pretty privilege, memorization and Heart Sutra. Cry Count: 16 Tight Fillet Spell Uses: 27 Paralyzed by fear: 5 Bandit Problems: 2 Kidnapped by demons: 3 Falling Off Horses: 6

Current Bai Long Ma Stats: Names/Titles: Bai Long Ma (White Dragon Horse), Prince of the Western Ocean, and third prince jade dragon of the dragon king Aorun Abilities: Transforming into a human, a water snake, and a horse, eating a horse in one bite, flight, Magic of Water Restriction, Singing, and Sword Dancing. Cry Count: 1 Crime List: Arson, and Grave Disobedience. Contributions to the plot: 2

Current Zhu Wuneng Stats: Names/Titles: The Marshal of the Heavenly Reeds, Zhu Wuneng (Pig who is aware of ability), Zhu Ganglie, Pigsy, Idiot and Eight Rules. Weapon: Rake Abilities: 36 Transformations, parting water, fighting underwater, cloud soaring and size enhancement Demon Kill Count/Kill steals: 1 Human Kill Count: 1 Failed Flirtation/romances Attempts: 3 Cry Count: 1 Crime List: Sexual Harassment, Murder, Kidnapping and arson.

Current Sha Wujing Stats: Names/Titles: The Curtain-Raising General, Sha Wujing (Sand Aware of Purity), Sandy and Sha Monk Weapon: Monster Taming Staff Abilities: Fighting underwater and Cloud soaring. Kidnapped by Demons: 1 Human Kill Count: 1 Crime List: Breaking a Crystal Cup, murder, and desecration of a human corpse.

[iamalasagnagirl]

hey :),

I just read your recommendations for wlw books (thanks so much for those xD), but wanted to asked if you knew any sapphic fantasy books as well (preferably high fantasy/books with great worldbuilding). Sorry if this is too specific and thank you <3

Hei, the only book that comes to my mind is The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon -> The premise of this book is a bit hard to describe because it tracks the perspectives of multiple characters from East and West, but essentially: Ead has been a transplant at a foreign court and is meant to protect Queen Sabran, who is the current ruler of the Virtudom and claims descent from the supposed defeater of the Nameless One (a big scary fire-breathing wyrm). She protects the queen using forbidden magic, which comes from her training as a mage in the Priory of the Orange Tree.

The world building is just intensely lush. It is so richly detailed, and while I spent a lot of time in the beginning having to double check where I was, the chapter headings with "East" and "West" simplified a lot for me.

It has sapphic romance in it, but I have to say that that's not what the main plot is about at all

I have other titles but i don't know if they're what you're looking for..

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir -> The Emperor needs necromancers. The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman. Gideon has a sword and is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service. Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die. Of course, some things are better left dead.

Queens And Monsters by Cleo Evans -> Butch Perseus and her femme Medusa. This book has: two women that have been secretly pining for centuries. Demigods, monsters, and gods. SPICE. Sapphic monster romance and SO much more. Not really my thing but maybe you'll do.

A Song of Silver and Gold by Melissa Karibian -> For the past year, Princess Kaelyn of Avalon has disguised herself as a man, Captain Kae, and led her crew into tumultuous waters to eradicate sirens on a journey fueled by revenge. Aqeara is a siren warrior of Meyrial, an underwater kingdom hidden from humans. When her negligence during the Avalon harbor attack causes the death of Meyrial’s princess, she seeks the help of a sea witch to overturn her banishment. Aqeara is given a human body and has until the next full moon to carve out Captain Kae’s heart in exchange for a spell to bring the dead princess back to life.

I'm sorry but i haven't read many fantasy books in my life 🙈

[big-nerd-boi]

Kill the crown/ jttw headcanons!

Foreword: this takes place in my universe— Au— storyline whatever thing! Which is inspired by/ a sequel ( highly debatable lmao) to journey to the west! So enjoy with that!

( also I’m not finished with the books so some information maaaaybe wrong until I yknow- finish ALL FOUR VERY LONG BOOKS)

Demon run kingdoms are uncommon, but not unheard of. Most humans will casually just avoid those kingdoms even if it causes travel delays. The Kingdom of The Eastern Sun & The Crescent Moon Kingdom are the two most well known examples of an openly demonic kingdom and civilization.

The Kingdom of The Eastern Sun ( KES) is rather welcoming to human visitors, a few even being permanent residents under the Emperor’s watchful eye. Since humans are rare, they aren’t a primary food source in the kingdom compared to animals like pigs. ( it’s said that pork is surprisingly close to human, just sweeter!)

The sister kingdom, Crescent Moon Kingdom… is not so kind to human travelers.

All the spiritual primates are born from rocks. Of course the type of rock is variant from monkey to monkey, but they all go under the label of stone monkey.

Heng, the immortal baboon was “hatched” from a stone smoothed from centuries under a waterfall.

Min-Yáng, the celestial gibbon ( she prefers this to “long armed gibbon”) was hatched from limestone at the break of dawn, the auspicious light hitting her stone-egg just right after years of her stone sitting a top a hill in the middle of a field.

The six eared macaque, Luhan broke free from his mountain-rock egg during an eclipse, the sun blacked out from the sky and the world hushed. Climbing down the mountain was easy, so was finding shelter.

Luhan has narcissism.

Fun fact! Narcissism is caused by trauma!

Sun Wukong, the most infamous stone monkey of all: was born from the same rock that his home was made from, the same type that lush green forests fill, and fertile soil lays on: basalt. Filled with holes, but basalt.

Heng is the oldest stone monkey, and tries his best to act like he is very mature.

Luhan makes that very difficult.

Luhan is the youngest stone monkey.

Yue (Min-Yáng’s second eldest daughter) is a half demon. Along with all her siblings. This means that instead of having a diet like a monkey like the other primates— she and her siblings all have a demonic diet.

Yue has never eaten a human, instead eating pork or venison.

Luhan and Wukong are the only two spiritual primates who have eaten human.

Heng cannot eat meat, his stomach only able to handle vegetarian foods. ( Geladas are strictly vegetarian monkeys).

During his time in the furnace and mountain, Wukong was “purified” from eating human— allowing him to preform magic that he couldn’t otherwise do.

Luhan was purified from eating humans and cannibalism after he was brought back from the dead.

Tripitaka for my own sake is named Tang Sanzang.

He is 18 when he starts the ✨journey to the west✨

He is 32 when the journey ends.

He is a very stressed man.

HE MEETS AND HAS TO DEAL WITH WUKONG AT 18!

Wukong told him about the three ( now two) other primates and he fainted.

The idea of more monkeys like Wukong was just too much for him, especially after just dealing with Luhan beating and robbing him.

Luhan adores theater in any form. He loves preforming, telling stories and the attention of an adoring crowd. Whether villain or hero, even the love interest- he could play any role and enjoy it; drawing the crowd in.

Guanyin is a surprisingly good mentor despite technically kidnapping Red-son and that bear demon allllll the way back. / lh

Guanyin is above gender concepts, especially when she can change into literally any form: man, woman, child, probably animal. Whatever form helps a person learn the dharma, the bodhisattva will take that form.

Heng loves insects, especially beetles. He’s the kind of baboon who will pick up a random bug and show it off to his family and tell them fun facts about said bug.

Li —Yue’s youngest brother— finds this cool as heck. Like all four year olds.

Yue prefers learning about plants.

Bojing, the emperor of the Kingdom of The Eastern Sun, hates bugs. He’d much rather his brother in law keep those nasty creatures out of his palace walls.

Min-Yáng deals with spiders if they somehow make it into their room.

Red son is actually surprisingly calm, enjoying his time with Guanyin as his teacher. He even keeps his bracelets on, as a reminder of where he had started.

He still visits his parents when he can, mostly his mother.

If a Buddha is killed, they have the choice to go to nirvana or reincarnate. At the expense of having to reach enlightenment again… which can take lifetimes.

And let’s end it on that note!

A very non-ominous note, of course. I’ll be sure to drop more proper lore soon!

[the-monkey-ruler]

Jinling Shengmu is so cool I’d love to see her show up more as Princess Iron Fan’s mom. And I guess Huaguang since he married Princess Iron Fan. I was so surprised to learn there’s a small temple out there where she’s worshipped alongside him since the end of the Ming dynasty.

I just wrapped up Journey to the South but I'll be honest it was just... way too boring. It is supposed to be after the Journey to the West but legit there was never really a connection to the story besides Wukong being in the first chapter and being the one to take down Huaguang in the last chapter. Otherwise, it is kind of a rinse-and-repeat plot with no real development because Huaguang keeps making more mistakes. I even thought that Princess Iron Fan in this verse was just different as well because she didn't have the Banana Leaf Fan she had like literally Iron Fan and acted like she never had a husband or son, just always living with her brother and mother.

If we are ever to get Nanyouji media they best just make it about Wukong and his kids fighting Huaguang because literally, the only interesting story line I enjoyed was him going to the demon city to save his demon mother and trying to cure her of her desire to eat humans. But that is only at the end!

But I wasn't aware of the temple which is really cool! If you have a temple or local for the temple please let me know!

[themakeupbrush]

Puteri Indonesia Sumatra Barat 2 2023 Regional Costume: Putri Kandita

This costume was inspired by the character of Princess Kandita who has a beautiful, resilient and authoritative face. Green as the color of fertility, and gold meaning prosperity. Putri Kandita is a descendant of the Pajajaran Kingdom led by Sri Baduga Maharaja or Prabu Siliwangi. The level of beauty that Princess has makes everyone amazed by her creation. Princess Kandita is also Prabu Siliwangi's beloved daughter. When Princess Kandita begins to grow up, the intellectual and prudent nature like Prabu Siliwangi begins to appear in her. With her beautiful face doesn't keep Princess Kandita away from trouble. In the journey of her life, Princess Kandita encountered many very great tests which made her leave the palace. She walks where her feet go aimlessly. After days of walking, Princess Kandita arrived at the southern coast, in front of her was laid a vast and deep ocean. With all of its wonders Putri Kandita is able to conquer the sea with all its contents. Everyone bows to her, that's where she is known as nyi roro kidul the ruler of the sea Queen of South West Java coast.

[richincolor]

Spring Break Reading

I have one more day of teaching before Spring Break begins. I'm exhausted and can't wait to spend some time curled up with a cup of tea and a book. My TBR is waiting and I'm super excited to dive into these three fantasies.

Broken Web by Lori M. Lee is a sequel to Forest of Souls which I loved. The third book in the Shamanborn series comes out next month so I need to read this one to be ready. 

Pub summary: The Soulless has woken from his centuries-long imprisonment. Now, he lurks in the Dead Wood recovering his strength, while Sirscha and her allies journey east to the shaman empire of Nuvalyn. Everyone believes she is a soulguide—a savior—but Sirscha knows the truth. She’s a monster, a soulrender like the Soulless, and if anyone discovers the truth, she’ll be executed.

But there’s nothing Sirscha won’t risk to stop the shaman responsible for the rot that’s killing her best friend. While the Soulless is formidable, like all shamans, his magic must be channeled through a familiar. If Sirscha can discover what—or who—that is, she might be able to cut him off from his power.

With Queen Meilyr bent on destroying the magical kingdoms, Sirscha finds herself caught between a war brewing in the east and the Soulless waiting in the west. She should be trying to unite what peoples she can to face their common enemies, but instead, her hunt for clues about the Soulless leads to a grim discovery, forcing Sirscha to question who her enemies really are.

Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier will be coming out on April 9th and I will be reviewing it soon. Isn't the cover a beauty?

Pub summary: Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family. But when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. In the years that follow, Hanalei finds solace in studying the majestic seadragons that roam the Nominomi Sea. Until, one day, an encounter with a female dragon offers her what she desires most. A chance to return home, and to right a terrible wrong. Samahtitamahenele, Sam, is the last remaining prince of Tamarind. But he can never inherit the throne, for Tamarind is a matriarchal society. With his mother ill and his grandmother nearing the end of her reign. Sam is left with two to marry, or to find a cure for the sickness that has plagued his mother for ten long years. When a childhood companion returns from exile, she brings with her something he has not felt in a very long time - hope. But Hanalei and Sam are not the only ones searching for the dragonfruit. And as they battle enemies both near and far, there is another danger they cannot escape…that of the dragonfruit itself.

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal is one I've been waiting for and I have given up on the hold shelf at the library. My local indie bookstore has it so I'm stopping by tomorrow to pick it up. I'm always happy to see books that involve tea as is evidenced by an earlier blog post here. 

Pub summary: Why save the world when you can have tea? On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone. Calling on some of the city's most skilled outcasts, Arthie hatches a plan to infiltrate the sinister, glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it.  From the New York Times—bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame comes the first book in a hotly anticipated fantasy duology teeming with romance and revenge, led by an orphan girl willing to do whatever it takes to save her self-made kingdom. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

[apenitentialprayer]

Left: detail of an icon of Jesus's Palm Sunday Procession. Right: detail of a 1791 replication of a bas relief of the Triumph of Titus

[T]his demonstration harbored a dangerous message that would lead to Jesus's public execution by the end of the week. The way Jesus entered Jerusalem at the beginning of Passover week was a strategically organized demonstration. Jesus's entire ministry was headed toward Jerusalem. Every time he had to leave a large crowd of sick people begging to be healed, it was because his journey was aimed toward Jerusalem. Word of Jesus's message had already spread to Jews in Jerusalem, and they were prepared to participate in these planned demonstrations. Mark 11 tells us that when Jesus and his disciples were approaching Jerusalem, he told two of his disciples, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' just say this, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.'" We don't know who was assigned to tie up the colt at the entrance, but taking the colt communicated to the crowds waiting in Jerusalem that Jesus was about to arrive. From the Mount of Olives, Jesus entered through the east entrance of Jerusalem on the colt while a crowd surrounded him, preparing the road for Jesus by spreading their cloaks and "leafy branches that they had cut in the fields" on the ground. And they shouted, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!" This deliberate sequence of actions was a symbolic reenactment of the prophecy of Zechariah. Zechariah 9:9 says, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey." Matthew even directly quotes the verse in his account. This was a purposefully timed demonstration that would also remind people of the next verse in Zechariah 9: "He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war-horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth." Although the gospel accounts do not report this detail, we know that the Roman governor Pontius Pilate arrived in Jerusalem at the beginning of the Passover Week as well. First-century Jewish historian Josephus wrote that during every Passover, Pontius Pilate and a legion of Roman soldiers spent the week in Jerusalem because of an increased chance of an uprising as Jews celebrated the event of the Exodus. The Romans wanted to make sure nobody got any dangerous ideas as they recounted God's attack on Egypt and the liberation of the Israelites. So as Jesus humbly entered Jerusalem from the east on a donkey, surrounded by a crowd of peasants and leafy branches, Pontius Pilate was likely entering Jerusalem from the west on a chariot led by a war horse, surrounded by a legion of Roman soldiers with armor and deadly weaponry. In their book on Jesus's last week in Jerusalem, John Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg point out, "What we often call Jesus's triumphal entry was actually an anti-imperial, anti-triumphal one, a deliberate lampoon of the conquering emperor entering a city on horseback through gates open in abject submission. The symbolism is packed with meaning for the lives of those in the crowd surrounding Jesus. This demonstration exposed two warring kingdoms: the kingdom of Rome, with the power and weapons on their side, and the kingdom of God with the people on their side, desperate for liberation.

Damon Garcia (The God Who Riots: Taking Back the Radical Jesus, pages 146-148). Bolded emphases added.

[amberkoyuki]

Myths?

𝓕𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓪𝓼𝔂 𝓐𝓤

★star of the story: 𝓖𝓲𝔂𝓾𝓾 𝓽𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓸𝓴𝓪★

Warnings: none really this is only the beginning

You the first daughter of royalty. You were told about dragons, sea/land nymphs, mermaids, wolves, vampires, hybrids, ect. Your entire life you thought it was a lie. You weren't allowed outside the castle so you'd never seen one. When you found out you were getting into an arranged marriage.. You packed a bag of stuff and ran away

running to the forest return. You just ran you didn't know which forest it was.. It was full of creates.. There were a pack of lions with wings chasing you trying to eat you.

You were running in a foggy area the trees in this forest tended to be over 20+ she you felt quite small in this forest. You couldn't see that far due to the fog but you could hear winged lions chasing after you. You didn't know what to do? What if you get eaten? How much longer can you run for? You tripped and fell under a hollow tree. The winged lions ran past. You let out a soft sigh.. |looks like like I head a different direction.| you thought. You were traveling east and west was back towards home. So you followed the north star. That would lead to the celestial kingdom. The goddess that ruled there always took in run aways.

There were 4 kindoms. North was the celestial. East was the dark Kingdom. West was your kingdom the ice kingdom. South was the light Kingdom. Those were the 4 kingdoms from high ranks. For now we'll call the the top 4.

lore. (I'll put another pink line when it's done)

Rank 1: 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒚𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝑴𝒊𝒄��𝒂𝒆𝒍 𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒆. The strongest person in this dimension. Ruler of light kingdom. He is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. His wife Is rank 2 and his adoptive daughter is rank 3. He is angel like. He can't hurt a fly. Light skin. Green eyes and dark gray hair.(he's not old he's only 37827 which in human years is 30)

Rank 2: 𝑪𝒓𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒂𝒛𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒆. She is A cold hearted demon. ruler is the dark kingdom. She is a person you never want to provoke. Married to rank 1. Bloodshot red eyes. Dark red hair and pink skin.(37947 YO in her earlier 30's if she was a human)

Rank 3: this a duo rank the two are 𝑨𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒌𝒐𝒚𝒖𝒌𝒊 𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒎 —— this rank owns the celestial kingdom. Amber is nothing but kind on the outside. She looks like a complete doll. Long dark hair and baby blue eyes. Don't let her beauty fool you she's ranked number 3 for a reason. And William and an ancient dragon who was "saved" by Amber. William is a bit stronger then amber and with his own will he pledged to protect amber with his life. He is like yushiro. Refuses to leave Amber's side. Light brown hair and turquoise eyes

Rank 4: 𝑵𝒐𝒂𝒉 ——. He is your older brother. You two had never seen each other due to him not living with your family. Your family is always apart of the top 8 rankings. He is a massive flirt. But like a jokeish type of flirt. Blonde hair and green eyes.

End of lore here.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You'd never heard of the top 8. The fist mention was when you were stealing food and overhear the shopkeeper and A customer talking about rank 8 being taken by a female named Jane

The ranks rarely changed. Rank 1 And 3 happened to get their ranks in one battle which shows their strength. While 2,4,5,6,7 got theirs in 300+ battles

Walking to the celestial kingdom would be a long journey due to you wearing a dress but the ends were already stained but the dress did look. like this

If anyone from your Kingdom saw you they'd take you back so you'd need to evade being seen by anyone. It was hard with this big dress.. But you'd need to change it sooner or later. After grabbing A basket of food you were walking in a back alley heading towards the forest. You felt bad for stealing but you had too.

After a bit of walking in the forest you had decided to sit and eat. You threw your basket into a tree and climbed up. It did take a bit of struggle to get up there but you'd managed to get into the big tree. If you eat on the ground then there's a chance a nearby predator would sense you. The enchanted forest was no game. People die out here all the time.. The moon was shining now up in the sky.. It was around 12 AM.. You were eating an apple.. It had a crunch to it.. Your eyes were beginning to force shut.. Sleep was forcing itself upon you.. You'd placed the half eaten apple.. sleep was now your priority.. Now

6 hours later —

It was now sunrise.. You'd now woken up.. Most monster's are asleep by now. You grabbed your basket. Looking down this tree was very. High up this was scary.. You'd never been up this high before.. You'd began to climb down when you lost your footing. When you didn't feel anything below you. You let out a loud gasp. But then you found your footing..that was a scary moment.. Walking morning felt peaceful.. The night was scary.. Animal's were own the prowl. They didn't hesitate to kill. they were merciless. Your basket was full of fruit.. Apples, pears, berries, mangos peaches. And a star flower.. Two things you'd never seen were mangos and A star flower. Mangos are from warmer kingdoms.. from what you heard they are typically sweet. star flowers have a lucid scent of sleep.. They are from the celestial kingdom. When amber is near the produce tiny little stars. And they are like amber's little eyes. They see everything even if she is blindfolded they'll still see.

after a bit of walking you were in a Forest clearing. They were campsites. People with unique hair color Red, blue, yellow, green,

The one with yellow hair spotted you.

𝐋𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧: 𝐇𝐄𝐘𝐘 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓'𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄!

The leader of this plan. A girl with red hair spoke up. She Was glaring you up and down. No intention of looking away.

𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦: 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐬𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧. 𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫

the one with blue hair looked shy and terrified. She definitely wouldn't speak any time soon.

the one with green hair was quite skeptical of you

𝐋𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧: 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚. 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐲

𝐊𝐢𝐰𝐢: 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐨𝐤𝐨𝐦𝐢.

𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦: 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦: 𝐈'𝐦 𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫. 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞'𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐅𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧.

Kiwi, Lemon and the blue haired girl led you to a little water stream

The had soaps and sponges they helped you clean up completely. You didn't have to move A finger.

After bathing you they gave you new set of clothes. Lemon held help up a cloth so you could change in peace.

kiwi and the other girl went to clean up camp. You slid on the pants and the baggy shirt.. It was new to wear pants for you.. You were used to dresses and skirts.

Maybe this life wouldn't be bad..

When you returned to the camp site everything was cleaned up. They were fast workers. You had never seen somebody clean so quickly they look to only be teenagers. A big blue dragon was landing it was 10x bigger than the trees.

The dragon had a saddle on it. The girl were tying the stuff to him. Lemon led you to the dragon. She was a little chubby. But that made her extremely cute. But she did have a bit of a masculine build. But a feminine face with makeup

Sitting on the dragon was awkward everyone was holding on to strings. When the dragon took off you almost flew away you were not prepared for it. The one with blue hair grabbed you before you flew away .

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲: 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐲!?

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲:𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲. her tone was soft and gentle no harm in it

You held onto those ropes like it was

You were trusting these people you had just met more than you should've.

Within minutes you landed in the celestial Kingdom. You traveled so far so quickly.. If you walked that would've taken you at least a week. You and the girls climbed up.. This place was full of stars..

The dragon had turned into a human with horns and a tail

(Like this but with horns)

You looked at him in shock. The dragon was a he and HE WAS A HYBRID?

"Is something wrong." He spoke with a monotone voice. "You've been looking at me like I had just eaten your family." His tone became aggressive

"s-sorry I've never seen a hybrid or a dragon before..!" You spoke while trembling a bit. You'd never seen a hybrid so it was kinda scary for you to even aggravate one

He was one of Amber's top dragons. He was ranked 12. He was trained by the lady herself. It was a rare chance to be trained by her or to even speak to her.

Giyuu was looking you up and down. Like you were some type of pest. Some insect that didn't belong. It waa clear he was annoyed with your presence he just didn't show it on his face

You noticed the blue mark on his face. That was strange. Was he born with it? Is that normal in this Kingdom? His black hair was very unkept his tied back. Spiky looking. Guards looked at her. One was a kitsune. Another was a minotaur the last was a satyr. They grabbed you by the arms.. Bringing you to a room with a female sitting on the floor. She was beautiful. Long black hair and a baby blue eye.. Her other eye was covered up with hair.. A man stood next to her. He had a large axe. Light brown curly hair and turquoise eyes.

"Ahhh! What's your name darling?" Her tone was soft and gentle.. She looked to be black.. But she Hispanic features.. She looked to be human herself while the man next to her didn't have a shirt. He had horns and a tail. The ace he was holding was violet and black..

"My name.. Is F!Reader.."